Effects of an occupation-based obesity prevention program for children at risk

Since the prevalence of obesity-related medical conditions in children and adolescents has increased over the past several years obesity prevention has become a vital need for our society and a focus of our professional practice. The primary aim of this pilot study was to increase children's ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOccupational therapy in health care Vol. 27; no. 2; p. 163
Main Authors Lau, Cynthia, Stevens, Devan, Jia, Jasmine
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.04.2013
Subjects
Child
Diet
Feeding Behavior
Female
Health Behavior
Health Promotion
Humans
Life Style
Male
Occupational Therapy
Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control
Pilot Projects
Program Evaluation
Risk
Schools
Self Efficacy
Social Class
Urban Population
Vegetables
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Summary:Since the prevalence of obesity-related medical conditions in children and adolescents has increased over the past several years obesity prevention has become a vital need for our society and a focus of our professional practice. The primary aim of this pilot study was to increase children's experiences with physical activity and healthy foods to promote self-efficacy related to a healthy lifestyle. Using a pre- and posttest design, the Healthy Choices for Me program was evaluated for its efficacy. Intervention consisted of a 12-week after-school program implemented by occupational therapy students. Elementary-aged children from two lower social economic schools in an urban area participated in the program. Results demonstrated positive changes in food behavior, food self-efficacy, and vegetable consumption for the participants.
ISSN:1541-3098
DOI:10.3109/07380577.2013.783725